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The Best SPF moisturisers for men to keep skin nourished and protected
Regardless of the temperature, an SPF moisturiser that protects from harmful UV rays is an essential addition to your washbag. Here are the best you can buy.
All products are independently selected by our editors. If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission.
All products are independently selected by our editors. If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission.
We may be far beyond the times of radium face creams, but our skin still faces damage from the sun every day — and year round. An SPF moisturiser (an anti-radium face cream, if you will) is your non-negotiable grooming solution — an anti-ageing cream without the explicit label. Even in autumn and winter when it feels like the sun is in hibernation, a swipe of SPF can save you the precious ageing effects that even sitting by a window in daylight can cause.
Whether you wear yours as a layer on top of your non-SPF moisturiser or choose a day cream with SPF in it is up to you, so long as you're protecting your skin. If it's the latter protection you're after today then you're in the right place: read on to find our expert's top picks.
What are GQ's best SPF moisturisers?
- Best skin-brightening SPF moisturiser: Kiehl’s Super Multi-Corrective Cream SPF 30, £66.50 at kiehls.co.uk
- Best vegan SPF moisturiser: Horace Mattifying Face Moisturiser SPF 30, £19 at horace.com
- Best budget SPF moisturiser: L’Oreal Paris Men Expert Hydra Energetic Anti-Fatigue SPF 15, £9.99 at amazon.co.uk
- Best SPF moisturiser for deep-set wrinkles: Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream SPF 30, £94 at lookfantastic.com & uk.elemis.com
- Best high protection SPF moisturiser: Cerave Facial Moisturising Lotion SPF 50, £16.50 at beautybay.com
Murad Multi-Vitamin Clear Coat SPF 50 | Clinique Superdefense SPF 40
What is SPF?
An acronym for Sun Protection Factor, SPF refers to the level of UV protection offered by a product. While you might have thought that the attached number refers to the level of protection offered, it's actually more like the amount of time you're protected for. A sun protection factor of 20, for example, means that it will take your skin 20 times as long to redden with the SPF as opposed to without it.
What does the PA+ sun cream symbol mean?
Chances are, you were already familiar with the SPF rating system before checking into this guide. However, you might also see the PA+ system on some SPF moisturiser and sunscreen bottles and be left wondering what it means. In essence, it's just another way of denoting how much protection you're getting from UVA rays. You'll see it a lot with sun creams in Asia, but the system has also been imported over to Europe of late. In essence, the more PA+ symbols that are on a product, the more protection you'll receive with the PA+ rating denoting some UVA protection and the top PA++++ rating conveying extremely high UVA protection.
How we test men's moisturisers with SPF
We've been testing both men's moisturisers and those with SPF for decades at British GQ and so our team of grooming obsessives are well-placed to separate the proverbial wheat from the chaff. Of course, the absolute priority with an SPF is ensuring you get the necessary protection against UVA and UVB rays to prevent early signs of ageing and other significantly more serious health issues. Of course, these preventative measures are vital but so is the need to create a moisturiser that you'll actually want to wear on the daily. That's why when assessing SPF moisturisers for men we also take into account other factors such as ease of application, scent and other hydrating and restorative ingredients that are worth paying attention to. With prices for the products below starting from as little as £5, there is an SPF moisturiser available for all genders.
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